Adjustable corner bracket for a bed assembly



Oct. 4, 1966 A. E. HARRIS 3,276,044

ADJUSTABLE CORNER BRACKET FQR A BED ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 2'7, 1964 II m4 jzveaz z" W MM 54 United States Patent 3,276,044 ADJUSTABLE CORNER BRACKET FOR A BED ASSEMBLY Allan E. Harris, Winnetka, 111., assignor to Harris-Hub Company, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 406,750 2 Claims. (Cl. -296) This invention relates to a new and improved bracket for connecting spring frames, bed rails, or the like, to bed headboards or footboards and, particularly, to a bracket that can be laterally adjusted to facilitate connection of the frames or rails to headboards or footboards of varying widths.

Spring frames or bed rails are usually secured to the headboard and footboard of a bed by corner brackets that include hook means designed to engage pins fitted into slot openings located adjacent the side edges of the bed headboard and footboard. It is not uncommon for the distance between the slot openings of these bed members to vary from each other by as much as one inch or more. For example, the center-tocenter distance between the slot openings on a single bed may run anywhere between 38 /2 and 39 /2 inches. On a double bed, the variation may be even larger.

In order to connect a spring frame or bed rail to a bed headboard and footboard, wherein the distance between the slot openings formed therein may vary, it is necessary to provide some mechanism for permitting latera'l adjustment of one or more of the corner brackets used to interconnect the spring frame or rail to its respective support member.

One type of bracket construction that has been used to compensate for variations in headboard width consists of loosely connecting the bracket to the frame, locating the hook portion in the slot opening provided therefor in the bedboard and then securing the bracket to the frame in this position. These brackets are connected to the frame by fastening means extending through the vertically disposed bracket and frame walls with the result that the fasteners are loaded in shear. With an arrangement of this type, the loading imposed on the fastening means is increased when someone is sleeping on the bed or it is otherwise loaded. Thus, jumping on the bed or excessively loading the bed could cause the pins to shear off. A second disadvantage of this design is that the means connecting the bracket to the frame is continuously urging the hook plate against the sidewall of the slot opening in which it is located, with the result that damage may be done to the bed member to which it is connected. In addition, with this condition existing, the hook plate is diflicult to remove from its respective slot opening, and when removed will move against the sidewall of the frame, thus requiring readjustment of the plate when the bracket is to be repositioned within the headboard.

It can be appreciated that if the bracket could be adjustably positioned relative to the spring frame or bed rail and be loaded in compression rather than shear, then the bracket would have a longer life. Similarly, if the bracket can be moved laterally and in such position be in a neutral or unstressed condition, then the hook portion thereof could be readily removed and reinserted into the slot opening provided therefor without requiring any further adjustment of the bracket relative to the spring frame or rail.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an adjustable bracket assembly for securing a spring frame, or the like, to a bed headboard or footboard. The brackets are laterally adjustable so they may fit into slot openings having center-to-center measurements that may vary slightly depending on the headboard or footboard into which the hook portion thereof is to be fitted. The adjustment of the bracket relative to the spring frame 3,276,044 Patented Oct 4, 1966 once made Will remain, thus permitting the spring frame to be readily removed and relocated whenever desired. The fastening means for securing the bracket to the frame is vertically disposed and loaded in compression, which makes for a very strong connection and all but eliminates the possibility of the bracket being severed from the frame.

In the embodiment illustrated, the bracket is channelshaped in cross section and is connected to the frame by longitudinally spaced fastening means extending through vertically aligned openings in juxtaposed horizontal walls of the bracket and frame. The openings in the frame are in the form of transversely extending elongated slots which permit lateral adjustment of the bracket relative to the frame. These brackets are, of course, used on all four corners of the bed to permit connection of the spring frame to the headboard and footboard to positively locate the frame in place therebetween.

Other advantages of the present invention will be seen from the following specification taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view, partially in section, illustrating a corner bracket secured to a spring frame member and hooked in place in a headboard;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation, partially in section, of the assemblage shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a spring frame 2 which includes a cross rail member 4 secured by suitable fastening means 6 to a longitudinally extending frame member 8. The spring frame is nor mally connected by corner brackets to a headboard, shown at 10 in FIGURE 1, and to a footboard (not shown). The details of the spring frame are merely cited as being exemplary, since the invention is not limited thereto and is applicable to bed rails, or other members, thatare to be connected in a similar manner to bed headboards and/ or footboards, or the like. However, for ease of description, the bracket will be described as being used to connect a spring frame to a headboard.

It is, of course, understood that usually four such brackets are used, one for each corner of the spring frame. These brackets are identical, except that they may be right-handed or left-handed, depending on which corner they are used.

The bracket 12 includes a vertically disposed hook plate section 14 which has two hook portions 16, 18 that are designed to extend over and receive therewithin laterally extending pins 20, 22. The pins 20, 22 are located in slot openings 24 which in the case of a single bed are spaced from between 38 /2 to 39 inches apart. The plate section 14 is shown as being offset outwardly of the frame 2, but such illustration is merely exemplary since it can be offset toward the frame if such is desired.

It can be appreciated that if the distance between the slot openings in the head-board 10 exceeds the spacing between the hook portions of the corner brackets, some means must be provided to laterally adjust the position of the brackets relative to the spring frame to permit the hook portion 14 to extend into the slot openings 24 and secure the frame to its associated bedboard.

To provide for this lateral adjustment, the body portion 26 of the bracket is made channel-shaped in cross section (see FIGURE 3) and is dimensioned to fit over the corresponding channel section of the longitudinally extending spring frame member 8. The bracket section 26 is secured to frame member 8 by bolts 28 and associated nuts 30 which extend through aligned openings 32, 34 in the upper juxtaposed horizontal walls 26a, 8a of bracket 26 and frame member 8, respectively. In order to permit lateral positioning of bracket 12, the opening 34 in wall 8a is made in the form of a transversely extending slot having a length sufficient to compensate for the variation in center-to-center distances between the slot portions of various headboards. As shown, there are two longitudinally spaced pairs of aligned openings in the frame and bracket, and the slot located nearest the headboard is shown as being approximately twice as long as the slot further away. However, this is merely exemplary since the slots can be the same or different lengths if desired, or more fastening means can be provided. It can be seen that the fastening means are loaded in compression and that there will be no tendency to sever the bracket from the frame, since any load placed on the spring frame will act in a direction tending to more positively connect the bracket to the spring frame.

When it is desired to connect the spring frame to the headboards and footboards, the fastening means are loosened to permit insertion of the hooks into the spaced slot openings. When this is accomplished, the fastening means are tightened and no further adjustment thereof is required, even though the spring frame may be periodivcally removed from the bed members.

It is to be noted that while the bracket is'shown as being channel-shaped in cross section, it can be L-shaped or of any other equivalent configuration which permits the bracket to be mounted in the desired manner. Similarly, while the slots are shown as being located in the' spring frame, they could be provided in the corner bracket which would permit the same sort of adjustment of the bracket relative to the spring frame.

It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a bed assembly including a support for springs and a mattress, said support comprising longitudinal and transverse frame members secured to each other by fastening means extending through adjacent longitudinal and transverse frame members, each of said members defin ing integral horizontal and vertical segments, unitary corner brackets, each of said brackets being integrally formed from a blank and each defining hook means extending longitudinally beyond said support for interlocking engagement with a headboard, each of said unitary corner brackets further defining a shaped portion having a vertical web and at least one horizontally disposed leg proportioned to nestingly receive a said longitudinal frame member adjacent said fastening means, said horizontally disposed leg slidably engaging a said horizontal segment, a plurality of aligned openings in said horizontally disposed leg and said slidably engaged horizontal segment, one of said openings closest to a headboard being in the form of a transversely extending slot to permit transverse slidable movement of said shaped portion i and said integral hook means with respect to said nestingly received longitudinal frame member, and vertically I extending locking means in said aligned openings for releasably clamping said corner bracket to said nestingly received longitudinal frame member, said locking means being axially and slidably movable in said aligned openings and therethrough prior to releasably clamping said corner bracket and said longitudinal frame member.

2. In a bed assembly including a support for springs and a mattress, said support comprising longitudinal and transverse frame members secured to each other by fastening means extending through adjacent longitudinal and transverse frame members, each of said members defining integral horizontal and vertical segments, unitary corner brackets, each of said brackets being integrally formed from a blank and each defining hook means extending longitudinally beyond said support for interlocking engagement with a headboard, each of said unitary corner brackets further defining a U-shaped channel portion having a vertical web and horizontally disposed legs proportioned to nestingly and snugly receive a said longitudinal frame member adjacent said fastening means, means defined by one of said horizontally disposed legs for receiving said fastening means, said one of said horizontally disposed legs slidably engaging a said horizontal segment, a plurality of aligned openings in one of said horizontally disposed legs and said slidably engaged horizontal segment, one of said openings closest to a headboard being in the form of a transversely extending slot to permit transverse slidable movement of said U-shaped channel portion and said integral hook means with re- Spect to said nestingly received longitudinal frame member, and vertically extending locking means in said aligned openings for releasably clamping said corner bracket to said slidably engaged longitudinal frame member, said locking means being axially and slidably movable in said aligned openings and therethrough prior to releasably clamping said corner bracket and said longitudinal frame member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,308,674 7/1919 Herbert 5132 X 1,551,984 9/1925 Dyke 5296 X 2,311,111 2/1943 Kelly 5131 2,398,219 4/1946 Geer 189-36 2,845,636 8/1958 Iaquinta et al. 5-296 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Examiner.

R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BED ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SUPPORT FOR SPRINGS AND A MATTRESS, SAID SUPPORT COMPRISING LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE FRAME MEMBERS SECURED TO EACH OTHER BY FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH ADJACENT LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE FRAME MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS DEFINING INTEGRAL HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL SEGMENTS, UNITARY CORNER BRACKET, EACH OF SAID BRACKETS BEING INTEGRALLY FORMED FROM A BLANK AND EACH DEFINING HOOK MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BEYOND SAID SUPPORT FOR INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH A HEADBOARD, EACH OF SAID UNITARY CORNER BRACKETS FURTHER DEFINING A SHAPED PORTION HAVING A VERTICAL WEB AND AT LEAST ONE HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED LEG PROPORTIONED TO NESTINGLY RECEIVE A SAID LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBER ADJACENT SAID FASTENING MEANS, SAID HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED LEG SLIDABLY ENGAGING A SAID HORIZONTAL SEGMENT, A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED OPENINGS IN SAID HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED LEG AND SAID SLIDABLY ENGAGED HORIZONTAL SEGMENT, ONE OF SAID OPENINGS CLOSEST TO A HEADBOARD BEING IN THE FORM OF A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SLOT TO PERMIT TRANSVERSE SLIDABLE MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAPE PORTION AND SAID INTEGRAL HOOK MEANS WITH RESPECT TO SAID NESTINGLY RECEIVED LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBER, AND VERTICALLY EXTENDING LOCKING MEANS IN SAID ALIGNED OPENINGS FOR RELEASABLY CLAMPING SAID CORNER BRACKET TO SAID NESTINGLY RECEIVED LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBER, SAID LOCKING MEANS BEING AXIALLY AND SLIDABLY MOVEBLE IN SAID ALIGNED OPENINGS AND THERETHROUGH PRIOR TO RELEASABLY CLAMPING SAID CORNER BRACKET AND SAID LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBER. 